52. Going home with Dr. Karen Laurence

Dr. Karen Laurence calls out issues associated with academic isolation—issues academics rarely discuss, but feelings academics know deeply. She describes how her sense of home where she felt connected to close family and friends grounded her during an often intense and competitive graduate school experience. And when she eventually left home and those close connections, she became increasingly attached to her academic identity, which resulted in greater stress, anxiety, and a painful sense of isolation. She speaks also about the difficult road back home. In the end, she urges others who may feel unhappy in their academic careers to contemplate life and career possibilities beyond academia.